The Untold Beginning of Bukit Brown
George Henry Brown was born sometime around 1826.
He came to Singapore in the 1840’s and started G H Brown & Co in 1 Jul 1854 as Merchants and Commission Agents.
It would be the same year in 1854 that a 27 year old Ellen would first step onto the shores of Singapore. At age 27, she was considered someone left on the shelf, still unmarried.
But Cupid smiled on her, for she would met and fell in love with young George at that time and very soon both of them got married. In time they would have several children, including one son George William Brown and several daughters including a Lucy Brown.
Ellen’s brother Arthur Knight would come in 1860 to help his brother in law in business and would later become a prominent inhabitant in Singapore.
George would also have owned some ships, for example the 800 MT Malacca, and the Christian.
Later on he would have shifted to Raffles place, as shown in a 1877 directory, a G H Brown & Co was also listed there under Merchantile, although the date of establishment was put as 1865.
At that time he already got a son George William Brown to help him in his business.
George Henry Brown also bought big pieces of land and properties in Singapore, including a big piece of land off Thomson Road.
It was there surrounded by thick jungle, but he managed to clear it to build some houses. He also once shot and killed a tiger.
There was a hill there, and since he like the area, which was pleasant to him, he named it Mount Pleasant. One of those cottages he built was Fern Cottage, and there one of his staff G M Dare stayed with his mother and sisters.
From the book:
“ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SINGAPORE BEING SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CAPITAL OF THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS FROM ITS FOUNDATION BY SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES ON THE 6th FEBRUARY 1819 TO THE 6th FEBRUARY 1919 “
Quote from G M Dare:
” The jungle round is full of wild animals ; pig, deer, tigers, and many snakes. Mamma encountered no less than three snakes one morning before breakfast, when going her rounds to the fowl-houses, and the mandor captured a python sixteen feet long, sneaking off with a fowl at the foot of our hill, not 200 yards from our cottage, which mamma, who has a particular horror of snakes, was shown coiled up in a fowl basket.
Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Brown and family, and her brother, Mr. Arthur Knight, lived in the big house. Mount Pleasant, on the same hill, which belonged to Mr. Brown and still goes by the name of ‘ ‘ Brown’s Hill ‘
Mr. Brown was very musical, and owned a fine organ and three pianos, one of which he most kindly lent to the Dares.
On the 16th March 1863 J. J. Dare brought the rest of the family up from the Cape in the clipper-steamer Clan Alpine, of Jardine, Matheson’s, Captain Bolton (who afterwards married the second Miss Dare [Louisa] on the 23rd February 1864).
George Henry Brown indeed was very musical, and he played the organ at St Andrew’s Cathedral in the 1860s. He was also in the original committee which determined the formation of the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company.
He also tried to plant several crops in Mount Pleasant, including nutmeg and coffee but failed.
Meantime Ellen has befriended Anna Leonowens, and the two became the closest of friends. But tragedy struck Anna Leonowens, her husband died in Penang in 1859 and the young widow was at a loss what to do.
Life in the 60s was an exciting time for the Brown family George, Ellen and Arthur.
They would rub shoulders with the Who’s Who’s in Singapore then such as Thomas Scott Thomson, Charles Dunlop, Tan Kim Ching, Tan Jiak Kim,Tan Boo Liat, Whampoa etc.
The Brown family kept unpublished dairies and photos of the golden period then.
However, an unfortunate accident happened to Mr Brown one day in the early 1880s while operating a tapoica cutting machine. He injured himself with the machine and went to Penang to recuperate.
It was there in Penang in 5 Oct 1882 that he died, perhaps of septicemia due to the injury and was buried in Penang in the same cemetery as Francis Light and David Brown who was the pioneer of nutmeg plantation and also big landowner who contributed much to the Snake Temple in Penang.
In 1883, another sad incident occurred. George Henry Brown’s son George Brown Junior went out to fish at the small stream near the foot of Mt Pleasant where he resided, was found dead in the stream. As he had epilepsy, it was supposed he was seized with a fit while fishing and drowned.
In 1903, Ellen Brown died at Grassdale, River Valley, where her brother Arthur Knight also stayed. She was 76.
The big piece of land whereby George lived later became known as Bukit Brown Rubber Estate It was later sold to a Mr Mootapa Chitty (a Chettair) and a Chinese Lim Chu Yi.
But 3 Ong clansman Ong Ewe Hai, Ong Kew Ho and Ong Chong Chew later bought the land for purposes of dwelling farming and as burial grounds.
In 1923, the Municipal Commission decided that the road leading to the Golf Club (later SICC) from Bukit Timah Road be known as Bukit Brown Road. (This road would later be expunged)
Recently, the Government built an underground MRT station known as Bukit Brown Station as part of the Circle Line which will in operation only when there is further development of the area.
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Arthur Knight, brother in law of George Henry Brown, died in Nov 8, 1916 at the old age of 83.
During his half century of distinguished service in Singapore, he was once Asst Auditor General, Asst Colonial Secretary, and also VP of Singapore Philharmonic Society, Tan Tock Seng Hospital Secretary for 30 years.
As was written in the Singapore Free Press 14 Jan 1919……
Empress and Queen, the star and ours
Are held aloft by kindred powers
For the same year that saw thy birth
Gave us a destiny on earth.
Thou shalt not lack our tribute praise,
Who reckon life by thine own days,
We who have prospered in thy smile
In this thy far off Birthday Isle.
Arthur himself was born on Christmas Day, 1833.
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As for George Henry Brown, his legacy still lives in the hill and area he found to be pleasant and named as Mount Pleasant, which we know it as Brown’s Hill – Bukit Brown
Efforts are still being made to trace his connections with the illustrious David Brown’s family in Penang.
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Compiled and written by Raymond Goh from the Newspapers archives: newspapers.nl.sg, directories and also interview with his great great grand-daughter who contacted us after reading about Bukit Brown in the Sunday Times, offering us a rare glimpse into the life of this man who became part of Singapore History.
The Rediscovery of Tan Eng Neo (Avenue)
Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery by Infopedia
Early beginnings of Bukit Brown
Bukit Brown was named after George Henry Brown, a shipowner, trader and broker who arrived in Singapore in the 1840s. He opened a company named Brown, Knight & Co., at Malacca Street in 1865, and was also listed as a petit juror in the Singapore almanack and directory (1870). Brown’s place of residence was located at Mount Pleasant Road/Drive, a road close to the present Bukit Brown site. Although the hill on which Brown’s residence stood was named after him, the road leading to Bukit Brown did not exist until much later. When an access road to Bukit Brown was constructed, the road was named Bukit Brown Road in 1923. This road has since been expunged.
Seh Ong (Hokkien) Cemetery
Opening of the Bukit Brown Cemetery
To meet the pressing need for more public Chinese burial grounds, the Municipal government acquired a section of the Seh Ong Cemetery in 1918-1919 to serve the needs of the wider Chinese community. The cemetery officially opened on 1 January 1922. Initially, various aspects of the cemetery’s management were handled by the Municipal Commissioners. However in 1923, they decided that internal arrangements relating to the cemetery should be left to the Chinese Commissioners to make their recommendations to the Board.
A cemetery for the wider Chinese community
Since the Bukit Brown Cemetery was set up to serve the burial needs of the wider Chinese community, rich and poor, all were to be given equal access to burial plots. To this end, an amendment (Section 245, no. 9) was passed at a special meeting of the Commissioners held on 25 August 1922. The amendment stated that no special favours would be given to any members of the community. Incidences where one person was allocated to two burial plots were no longer permitted. The by-law came into effect on 21 September 1923. Between the date when the amendment was passed and its effective date, two cases of double occupancy took place in January 1923 and April 1923 respectively.
Bukit Brown was initially unpopular with the Chinese because of its small plot sizes. However, it slowly gained acceptance after improvements were made to the layout. It was reported that by 1929, 40% of all officially registered Chinese burials within the municipality took place there.
The Commissioners also sought to improve the conditions of the cemetery. In the beginning, two rest houses were allocated for funeral visitors. A regular water supply was provided through the construction of water pipes and wells, and gardeners were hired to maintain the site. Despite this, complaints about the unkempt appearance of the cemetery occasionally appeared in the newspapers.
Other problems at the cemetery
Aside from municipal issues, murders, robberies and faction fights were also known occurrences.
One of the earliest murders at the cemetery took place in 1927. A fight between two groups led to the fatal stabbing of two Chinese men.
On 24 July 1933, The Straits Times reported on a fight which broke out in the middle of a full funeral procession of a famous towkay, attended by 1,000 people at the cemetery. The clash was sparked by two secret societies in conflict. As a result of the skirmish, six people were taken to the hospital.
In 1980, a robbery took the life of the cemetery’s caretaker and part-time gardener. The caretaker was found dead with 15 years of his life savings missing.
In addition to murders, fights and robberies, there was also the peculiar problem of the illegal swapping of burial plots. There was considerable black-marketeering of Chinese burial plots. This is evident in the advertisements of that period. Notices inviting transfers of burial plots at Bukit Brown Cemetery were advertised in the newspapers. Such transactions were against the Municipal’s by-laws and were not recognised by the Commissioners. Despite the Commissioners’ assurance that there was no lack of burial space, such practices continued. It is not clear from the reports what drove the demand for blackmarket burial plots or the illegal swapping of burial plots. It could be due to lack of space as some felt that the sizes of the burial plots were too small or the Chinese preference for burying family members close by, hence the need to swap plots.
Prominent personalities buried at Bukit Brown
Many well-known and prominent Singaporeans are interred at Bukit Brown Municipal Cemetery. They include Mrs Eu Kong, mother of Eu Tong Sen; Loh Kye Wee, director of Malaya Broadcasting Co.; Tan Lark Sye, philanthropist and rubber magnate; Ong Sam Leong, renowned entrepreneur; Ong Boon Tat, proprietor of New World Park; Mrs Lim Nee Soon, Lim Chong Pang, which Chong Pang village was named after; and Chew Boon Lay of Boon Lay estate. Some of these graves have been around since the establishment of the Seh Ong Cemetery.
One of the more memorable funeral processions that took place at the cemetery was the singing of Malay pantun-pantun (poems) at the funeral of Koh Hoon Teck, one of the “old guards” of the Peranakan community in Singapore. It had been one of his wishes that Malay poetry be sung at his funeral. As he was a pantun expert and a founding member of the Dondang Sayang Association, his family members, close friends and members of the association arranged for a “pantun party” to be held at the cemetery. This was done in an elaborate Ming fashion as his other wish was to be interred in robes of the Ming period.
Features of tombs
The tomb of Ong Sam Leong and his wife in Bukit Brown is said to be the largest tomb in Singapore. Built in 1918 before plot sizes were fixed, the area is reported to be as large as 10 small Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats. Unlike most tombs that have either a small groove or ditch, its front perimeter is 15m long. Also, while most graves are adorned with decorations from traditional Chinese mythology such as lion statues, the Ong tomb is one of several tombs that have statues of Sikh watchmen which stand guard over the grave instead.
Oldest grave?
On 21 March 2010, a newspaper report claimed that the oldest grave in Bukit Brown dated to as early as 1833, not 1844 as previously claimed. The headstone belongs to a man called Fang Shan, who died in 1833. Fang Shan’s grave is looked after by the Fang Shee Association, a local clan association for those with the surname Fang.
The more important part of this discovery was that it was also believed to be the oldest known grave to date. According to the National Archives of Singapore, which keeps burial records, the oldest grave here dates back to 2 April 1865. This grave was at the Bukit Timah Road Old Cemetery, also known as the Kampong Java Cemetery. According to the National Environment Agency, it was exhumed together with the other 8,461 graves in the cemetery, and the remains reburied at Choa Chu Kang Christian Cemetery in 1970.
In 2006, The Straits Times reported that a tomb dating back to 1842 had been found near the current National University of Singapore law school campus.
Roads in and around Bukit Brown
On 1 June 1923, the Committee of Municipal Commissioners decided to name the first portion of the road from Bukit Timah Road to the golf club Bukit Brown Road. It was also decided that the the road from Bukit Brown Road leading to the cemetery should be called Kheam Hock Road, in memory of Municipal Commissioner Tan Kheam Hock, who had actively lobbied for the establishment of the cemetery. Tan had passed away in April 1922. In 1925, one of the Municipal Commissioners, See Tiong Wah, noted the growing popularity of the road leading to the cemetery and suggested a widening of Kheam Hock Road to 60 feet and the wooden bridge leading to it. This suggestion was, however, rejected.
The portion of the state land of Bukit Brown was exhumed to make way for the alignment of Lornie Road, off Adam Road, in 1965. Later, the graveyard was also divided into two sections due to the construction of the Pan Island Expressway in the 1970s. The other part of the cemetery is called Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Exhumation in Bukit Brown Cemetery
In 1965, the Public Works Department (PWD) issued a statement that the graves on state land in Bukit Brown Cemetery, about 237 tombs, were to be exhumed to make way for the realignment of Lornie Road, off Adam Road. On 18 January 1965, these tombs were exhumed for interment at the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery. A notice by the PWD, published in The Straits Times on 25 March 1965, provided the names of the deceased, the number of the corresponding grave plots, previous addresses and burial dates.
Closure of the cemetery
The Bukit Brown Cemetery closed for burial in 1973. There were about 100,000 tombs at that time.
Future developments
Though the Bukit Brown Cemetery faces the threat of redevelopment in land-scarce Singapore, no formal plans have yet been made known. The Land Transport Authority has, however, announced the construction of a Bukit Brown MRT station at Jalan Mashor, near the cemetery. It will be one of the 13 new MRT stations along the Circle Line between the Thomson Road area and Harbour Front. Although the Circle Line is due for completion in 2010, the Bukit Brown MRT station will remain unfinished until the area becomes more developed. In the meantime, the proposed MRT station will be constructed as a “shell station” – a stop with basic structures such as ventilation shafts for the MRT tunnel, and underground concrete boxes to house the future station.
Author
Kartini Saparudin
The unwavering Stance of our Government
Land Transport Authority Media Release – 12 Sep 2011
| Construction of New Dual Four-Lane Road to Relieve Congestion Along PIE & Lornie Road and Serve Future Developments |
Is this the end??
Quotable Quotes:
Raymond Goh (API):
“Once we removed Bukit Brown and turn it completely into an urban concrete jungle, we will have lost that integral part that bind us to our roots and is irreplaceable. Only if we remember our roots from whence we came, can we really love the country and the people that nurture us to what we are today.”
Charles Goh (API):
“Though long dead, their names can be read from the streets, buildings and places we see everyday. Though dead, their tombs, have much tales to share. “If the Singapore Spirit exists, then it surely must exists in BBCC.”
Laura (An expat blogger):
“I don’t know the ultimate fate of Bukit Brown cemetery but I will say that to have somewhere you can truly escape and discover your country’s past is something very precious.”
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Jointly issued by Land Transport Authority, Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board 1. To alleviate the congestion currently experienced along Lornie Road and the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) during peak hours and to cater to expected growth in future traffic demand, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will construct a new dual four-lane road in Bukit Brown. Construction of the new road is expected to begin in early 2013 and will be completed by 2016. 2. This new road will serve as the new link connecting motorists travelling between Thomson Road, Adam Road and PIE, and is part of the road network that will support future developments in Bukit Brown. New road to meet current and future traffic needs 3. Lornie Road functions as a strategic road link in the Outer Ring Road System allowing motorists travelling between the east and the west of the island to bypass the city. Lornie Road also serves as an essential road connection for traffic between PIE and residential estates in the central and northern parts of the island, such as Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Thomson. 4. Today, with increased traffic, Lornie Road experiences heavier traffic than before, especially during the morning and evening peak hours. Slow traffic conditions are also observed on the slip roads connecting PIE and Lornie Road. With the future developments in the central and northern parts of the island, traffic demand along Lornie Road is expected to increase between 20% and 30% by 2020 and well beyond what the current Lornie Road will be able to handle. New road alignment will serve future developments 5. In line with long term plans, Bukit Brown area will be developed for housing in the future. The new road will also connect Bukit Brown with the rest of the road network. Careful planning to minimise trade-offs 6. Various agencies, including LTA, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board (NParks) have worked closely to plan an alignment that takes into consideration the more immediate transport needs, as well as the longer term development plans for the area. Care was also taken to avoid adversely affecting the nature reserves near MacRitchie Reservoir, and to avoid any private land acquisition for this road project. More park connectors 7. Upon completion of this new road, the existing Lornie Road will be converted to a dual two-lane road, and the space freed up will be used for future park connectors alongside the existing nature reserve. This will enhance the overall experience for visitors to the MacRitchie Reservoir. Impact on Bukit Brown cemetery 8. The new dual four-lane road will connect the existing Thomson Road near Caldecott Hill and will cut through parts of the existing Bukit Brown Cemetery before joining Adam Road near the slip roads leading onto PIE. Please refer to Annex A for an indicative alignment of the new road. 9. It is estimated that the new road will affect about 5% of the more than 100,000 graves currently sited in the Bukit Brown Cemetery. LTA will conduct a grave identification exercise to confirm the actual number of graves affected. LTA will be calling a tender soon to identify the graves that will be affected by the new road. 10. After the affected graves are identified, LTA will publish details of the affected graves and invite the next-of-kin of the deceased buried in the affected graves to register their claims of their ancestors’ remains. LTA will work closely with the next-of-kin to undertake the exhumation of the affected graves, which is expected to take place in fourth quarter 2012. Members of the public can contact Mr Yeoh Wei Hean (DID: 6396 2385; email: wei_hean_yeoh@lta.gov.sg) or Ms Charlene Tay (DID: 6396 1810; email: charlene_tay@lta.gov.sg), if they have any queries on the grave identification. Preservation of Bukit Brown heritage 11. To preserve the heritage of Bukit Brown Cemetery, URA and LTA will work with the Singapore Heritage Society and other stakeholders to identify and document key heritage elements of the cemetery. |
LTA proposed road corrider will affected an estimated 10,000 graves and area of 24 hectares, tearing Bukit Brown apart
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A Letter to Straits Times – Keep Bukit Brown graves: Descendants
The Straits Times Forum – 19/10/2011
Keep Bukit Brown graves: Descendants
THE consequence of the decision by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to clear Bukit Brown Cemetery to make way for a highway and future housing developments is an irreplaceable loss to generations of Singaporeans (‘Redevelopment plans for Bukit Brown site’, Sept 13; and Forum letter ‘Rethink road widening affecting cemetery’ by Mr Liew Kai Khiun, Sept 16).
Indeed much of the historical and social value of Bukit Brown Cemetery is still being uncovered by volunteers today, yet preparations for clearing works are slated to start next month. The latest tender suggests that 24ha (10,000 graves) will be affected in the heart of the cemetery. This, we understand, is just the beginning.
Despite URA and LTA’s assertions that they will work with the Singapore Heritage Society and other stakeholders to identify and document key heritage elements, it appears that this refers to mere ‘data recording’, and not a heritage study.
It is not widely known that the Bukit Brown, Ong clan and Hokkien Huay Kuan cluster form the biggest Chinese burial grounds outside China, with a quarter of a million graves.
The erasure of these grounds will deal a substantial blow to the cultural history of Singapore.
The graves contain our immigrant forebears, from paupers to almost all our local pioneers who remain largely unrecognised beyond the roads that bear their names, such as Ong Boon Tat, Cheong Koon Seng, Cheang Hong Lim, Chew Joo Chiat, Lim Chong Pang and Chew Boon Lay; and the wife of philanthropist Lim Nee Soon.
Each tomb tells of a journey from a village in China, their families, their achievements and their culture.
Stories discerned from the graves will no longer be accessible to future generations.
As descendants of Singapore’s early pioneers, we appeal to the authorities to explore alternatives like widening existing roads or using flyovers to preserve this national heritage.
It is not too late to recognise that Bukit Brown is rich with ‘living’ possibility and multi-uses – not just for those who pay respects to ancestors but also as a place for learning and recreation.
Here is where creative lessons in biology, bird-watching, history, genealogy, art and poetry could take place as well as serious research. To take a quiet walk with family or tour with the passionate guides is to be moved by our history and feel truly connected with this place we call our home.
Let us not squander our heritage and dishonour our past for a few more condos and cars. Once we bulldoze through this history, it will be too late to resurrect the foundation of our national sense of identity.
Chew I-Jin (Ms)
Descendant of Chew Boon Lay
FORUM NOTE: The other signatories are Mr Chew Kheng Chuan (descendant of Chew Boon Lay), Mr Gerald Tan Kok Seng (descendant of Tan Tock Seng), Mr Chia Hock Jin (descendant of Chia Hood Theam) and Ms Ong Chwee Im, representing the descendants of Ong Chong Chew, Ong Ewe Hai and Ong Kew Hoe, who donated the land for use of the Ong clan in 1872).
Partnering Stakeholders to Document Graves Affected by the New Road at Bukit Brown Cemetery
LTA News Release, Partnering Stakeholders to Document Graves Affected by the New Road at Bukit Brown Cemetery
To meaningfully capture the history and heritage of the graves affected by the new road at the Bukit Brown Cemetery, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) have partnered key stakeholders in the community to establish a framework to guide the documentation of these graves.
2 In a meeting with stakeholders from the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, The Peranakan Association of Singapore, Singapore Heritage Society, academics and grave experts, Minister of State for National Development Tan Chuan-Jin affirmed the government’s interest in the documentation process. He said, “We are aware of the rich heritage of Bukit Brown and its links to the history of our country. We have sought to explore various possibilities for the road but there were no easy choices. Once the decision was taken on the road, we began discussing with key stakeholders. We aim to properly capture the history and memories of the affected graves and to do this before the planned road development begins.”
3 Work and discussions had been ongoing for a few months now. An Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from the key stakeholders groups as well as representatives from key government agencies such as URA, LTA and the National Heritage Board will guide and provide advice to the documentation process. This will ensure that crucial information that can be found at the graves will be meaningfully documented. It is estimated that the new road will affect about 5% of the more than 100,000 graves currently sited in the Bukit Brown Cemetery.
4 A Working Committee led by Dr Huied by Dr Hui Yew-Foong, Fellow and Coordinator of the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, will carry out the actual documentation work. A Cornell University-trained anthropologist, Dr Hui is also a member of the Inter-Agency Committee on Chinese Overseas Databank and Research. He has a deep interest in and passion for the documentation of both tangible and intangible heritage, and was responsible for leading a team of volunteers to document the 3,000 graves at the recently exhumed Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery.
5 The documentation project at Bukit Brown Cemetery will adopt a holistic approach and treat the cemetery as an organic socio-cultural space. This entails not just the documentation of graves, but also the social history, memories and rituals associated with the cemetery, as well as the exhumation process. The documentation works will align with the identification of graves affected by the new road to be built. Please refer to Annex A for the timeline.
6 Planning for the long-term land use in land-scarce Singapore often requires us to make difficult decisions. The government is committed to retaining and protecting our natural and built heritage, but needs to also balance it against other needs in the community, such as housing for people. Bukit Brown has been zoned for residential use since the Concept Plan 1991 and it has been public knowledge that the long-term plan is to use the area to meet future housing needs.
7 To support the plan, basic infrastructure such as roads will need to be built over time. In 2009, LTA widened Lornie Road (towards Adam Road) to four lanes. However, due to site constraints at Lornie Road, any further widening would require the removal of matured trees whicd trees which shield the inner forest of our nature reserve and the acquisition of private land. The new road, which will help mitigate traffic conditions along Lornie Road, will also serve future housing developments in the area [1].
8 Development will not be immediate, other than the road, and will begin south of Bukit Brown, around the Police Academy area, in about ten to fifteen years. This is primarily for public housing and future residents here will benefit from the proximity to the future Bukit Brown MRT station along the Circle Line. The rest of Bukit Brown will be developed for housing further in the future. Our immediate priority is to document those graves that are likely to be affected by the new road.
Spaces for the Living: A Discussion on Bukit Brown Cemetery
Spaces for the Living: A Discussion on Bukit Brown Cemetery
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 5:00 PM (GMT+0800)
Singapore City, Singapore
Chew Boon Lay, Gan Eng Seng, Cheang Hong Lim, and Teh Ho Swee – these are names of our roads and MRT stations. They invest these places – and our everyday life – with a deep historical meaning.
Our sense of who we are is continually tested by the tension between heritage and development. On 13 September, the Land Transport Authority announced that part of Bukit Brown Cemetery will be redeveloped to ease traffic congestion. This will affect 5,000 graves, both of well-known pioneers mentioned above and unsung immigrants who began the task of building Singapore in the 19th century.
Bukit Brown highlights the genuine value of our shared history and its relevance to our future. The resting places of the dead underline our ties as members of a living community.
We invite concerned members of the public to a discussion of the past, present and future of Bukit Brown. A panel of experts will speak on the rich cultural heritage of Bukit Brown and the need to conserve it.
Programme
4.40 – 5.00 pm, Registration
5.00 – 6.15 pm, Speakers:
– Mr Raymond Goh, co-founder of Asia Paranormal Investigators and heritage guide
– Dr Irving Chan-Johnson, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), who launched an online petition for the conservation of Bukit Brown
– Dr Hui Yew-Foong, Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, who led the documentation of Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery
– Dr Ho Hua Chew, Exco member of Nature Society (Singapore), who has been at the forefront of conservation projects like Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the Green Corridor
– Mr Chew Kheng Chuan, great-grandson of Chew Boon Lay and co-author of Chew Boon Lay: A Family Traces its History.
– Dr Lai Chee Kien (Chair), Department of Architecture, NUS
6.15 – 6.25 pm, Round-up by Chair
6.25 – 7.30 pm, Q&A and Discussion
Register here.
